What A Long, Strange Day it Was

To make a long story short, the plan to take out the nasal tube and insert the PEG tube didn't happen today.  All along we were under the impression that it would involve a full OR set up and a general anesthetic protocol, as it did the last time I had a PEG tube inserted.  They have to take extra precaution to make sure I have a backup air supply during the procedure.

When we arrived at Emory around 11 this morning, we were not taken to the OR admit area (Sign #1).  Rather, we were taken to a sort of catch-all area for minor surgeries--mostly out-patient jobs.  Rather than being seen first by an anesthesiogist, we were seen by someone from the radiology department (Sign #2).  He asked a long series of questions that didn't make much sense, and some of our answers caused him to consult with someone else 3-4 times (Sign #3).

Terry asked a tell-tale question about how I would be intubated during the procedure (that's the air supply issue) and he admitted that I would be under only mild sedation--not general anesthetic (BIG Sign #4).  That led to more consultations and an eventual decision that this had to be done in the OR and under general anesthesia.  That's the first good news of the day.

The next good news was that they could do that correct procedure today, followed by some news that it would be several hours before an OR and anesthesiology team could be available.  That was around 1 PM.

Five hours later we were informed that they had a heavy schedule of emergency procedures in that OR, and that mine would be postponed to a later date.  So, we finished up our business there, I got dressed, and we headed home.

The procedure has been placed on the schedule for 6:30 Monday morning, so we have a definite time, place, and surgical team for it.

The long day of non-events was worsened by the fact that I had not eaten since dinner last evening, and that Terry was freezing her ass off in the holding area.

The whole thing appears to be a bad series of poor planning by the surgeon (who should have known the signs), and the unanticipated need for so many emergency procedures while we waited for our turn.

So, postpone those Good Vibes until Monday morning, and we'll keep you posted once this gets done.

Mike